Slip and fall
by Serosa
Summary: In a world of ice Hiei's past rises to haunt him, and the only one there to help, is Touya. :angsty one shot, slight ooc:ness I'm afraid:


**_Slip and fall_**

The ground was covered by a layer of slippery ice. The cold wind seemed to bore straight to the bone. Fore one, the wind seemed to carry voices from the past. Forbidden child, it seemed to whisper. _Forbidden child…_

A small slip, but balance was quickly recovered. Ruby eyes paused to look at the long fall down the mountain. _Such a long fall... Forbidden child..._ Feet clad in black boots started to move again, slightly disturbed, but determined not to show it. From behind, blue eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Why here? Why here of all places? Did the brat of the underworld want him dead? Why here among the ice, where past would rise to consume him? The feet stopped yet again, this time to recover from a feeling of dizziness. A pale hand appeared on a dark clad shoulder.

"Are you alright?" A voice without concern. A voice as cold as the wind.

"I'm fine." And the feet started moving again. Nearly bare feet followed almost soundlessly behind. Eyes of the coldest blue watched, carefully judging the partners stability. Why here? Why did the brat of the underworld send fire into the midst of ice? Why…?

Black boots slipped and two gasps were swallowed by the stormy wind. As one fell over the edge, the other ran forward, stretching out an arm. Almost… almost… A grunt could barely be heard over the howling of the wind. Their hands were locked together.

Thrown over the edge. Falling… Falling… Nothing but air and a long fall. _Cast away… Forbidden child…_ But he didn't fall. He stayed hanging. Ruby eyes looked up and saw blue ones. Blue eyes that widened after seeing the panic in the once indifferent being. Then they started to glide. Sliding on the ice, closer and closer, over the edge. And ruby eyes showed even more panic.

A quick flash of ki and they stopped sliding. A slight strain of muscles, and the dark one was back on the frozen ground.

"Are you alright?" the same voice asked again. Cold-blue eyes were frowning. Even more so when no answer was heard. The being in blue clothing sat still, holding one arm around the other who had his face pressed against a well-built chest. The entire black-clad body was shivering, and frightened gasps told that something was very wrong. As did the firm grip on the blue tunic.

"Don't… don't cast me away… Don't…" The whispers almost went unheard. Almost. The being of ice was thrown into a situation he had no control over. A situation he'd never had to go through. How to comfort?

"Shh… You're safe… Calm down…" What else was there to be said?

"…kill me. He seeks to kill me. Koenma… he sent me to die." The ice being sighed slightly. It was idiocy, pure idiocy, to send fire into a world of ice. But why such panic..?

"…Mother… Forgive me. Forgive me for being born. Forgive me…" The blue eyes blinked down at the shivering one. Begging for forgiveness… For such a thing…?

"Stop it." Cold, haunted, confused. That was the nature of the command. "Stop it." And surprisingly the other complied. He even stopped shivering. But only because his body tensed, preparing for punishment. The ice being took a deep breath of cold air. He even took his time cursing Koenma for placing them in such a situation before speaking again.

"Hiei…" A pause, and then in a somewhat softer voice: "Hiei…" He knew what he should have said. He knew, but couldn't say it. "We need to continue." And still they sat there, neither making a move to get up.

"…They cast me away. They cast me away because I wasn't full-blooded koorime. I didn't even look like one. They cast me away. Like trash… useless… worthless… insignificant brat…"

Blue eyes glazed over, taking it all in. The self-loathing and –hate. The fear of rejection, of being thrown aside. How long had this creature, this "forbidden child", held it all inside? For how long had it been killing him, slowly eating him alive?

"You're wrong." Again that voice. That cold, haunted voice. How he wished he could make it softer. Just for this one time. "We're not like that." He was talking in monotone. "They want us to believe that. Believe that we're worthless. But we can't let them win."

Hiei was staring at him now. How long was it since someone told him he was better that dirt? By the look the ice being was receiving, he'd say never.

"…Touya…" The fire being was going to say something. He was going to say something important. But he couldn't. "I'm cold."

Touya nodded and with much difficulty managed to move them further from the cliff. From a supply pack he pulled out a blanket that he wrapped around them. Then, with a few select flashes of ki, a pair of ice walls appeared to shield them from the biting wind. A little more digging in the pack was rewarded with a small, pocket-size communicator. The pale hand holding it flipped it open with one firm movement of the wrist. The other arm was still around Hiei. They waited for someone to answer. Soon a face appeared. Mischievous brown eyes and slicked black hair.

"Hey, Touya! How'd it go?" Cold blue eyes strayed to look at the fire being before answering:

"The mission was a success, But Hiei needs help. The cold is getting to him. He won't last long." Now the brown eyes were concerned.

"I'll send Botan to pick you up…" There might have been more said, but the communicator gave a fizz and then died. The cold seemed to have gotten to it as well.

"It won't take long." Why couldn't he make his voice softer? "Help is on its way. We'll be away from this place soon." Hiei nodded tiredly. Ruby eyes were looking straight into blue ones.

"About… what happened… what I said." The pause was uncertain. Slightly fearful even.

"Happened? I don't remember anything happening." A calm statement. An assurance. A grateful smile tugged at the fire beings pale lips, and the ruby eyes started to close. Leaning against an ice wall, Touya pulled Hiei even closer to his body. He placed his cheek against the fire beings temple and whispered into his ear:

"Don't fall asleep. Show them that we're strong. Stronger than they could possibly imagine." And the ice being realized that whispering automatically softened his voice. Whispering was good.

The ground was covered by a layer of slippery ice. The cold wind seemed to try and burrow through the walls of ice set around two beings wrapped tightly in a blanket. For one of them the wind seemed to carry voices from the past, but the warm breath whispering in his ear kept the voices at bay. Maybe when he later would fall asleep, he would finally be blessed with a slumber without nightmares.

But not yet. Now he… they had to stay awake, and prove to the ones that called them worthless, that they were stronger than anyone could imagine.

The ground was covered by a layer of ice.


End file.
